Overview

YHA Whitby Abbey House is a magnificent Grade 1 listed mansion situated immediately beside the iconic ruins of Whitby Abbey. Enjoy breath taking views over the harbour and North Yorkshire Moors with just a short walk to the town, via 199 steps. The hostel offers superb accommodation for families and groups and is the ideal base for exploring Whitby and its year round attractions. YHA Whitby offers an unforgettable experience in a historic setting with many original artefacts throughout the hostel. Look out for the interpretation boards with information about the features including 13th Century carved oak Viking beam, 18th century wallpaper and stunning Victorian stained glass.

After a busy day exploring the unique town, wild moors and fabulous beaches, relax and enjoy a delicious meal in our spacious Abbey House Tearooms or eat al fresco in the garden. Both have spectacular views over the harbour. YHA Whitby is the perfect venue for school trips with an established activity package for Key Stage 2 & 3 that complements the National Curriculum and makes the most of the wonderful location and history.

Activities

Walking & Rambling

The Cleveland Way runs past the Youth Hostel following the dramatic coastline south from Whitby. Enjoy stunning coastal scenery on a pleasant family walk to Robin Hood’s Bay or complete the trail through Scarborough and on to Filey.

For a more rural walk, follow over 1,400 miles of paths and tracks on the nearby North Yorkshire Moors. In summer, the park operates a Moorbus to enable visitors to enjoy the walking routes. Steam trains operated by North Yorkshire Moors Railway into the Esk Valley also run from Whitby station in the summer season.

Mountain Biking

Get out and about on your bike and enjoy the landscape. Try Dalby Forest, 20 miles from Whitby, where you can explore an exhilirating 40 miles of mountain bike trails. Whether you’re after hard core down hills or just a simple ride, you can ride as far as you like.

Cycling

The Cinder Track between Whitby and Scarborough is part of Route 1 of the National Cycle network, offering 21 miles of off-road cycling with the opportunity to take slight detours and visit the quiet hidden bays along the coast.

Suitable for families and novice cyclists. Local cycle hire is available.

Watersports

Whitby Surf School located on West Cliff Beach is an ideal place to surf and SUP as the shallow gradient sandy beach offers plenty of space and waves. Lessons designed to build confidence, technique and water awareness are available. Suitable for children from 8 years and adults.

Reviews

Food & Drink

Breakfast

Start your day in this gorgeous seaside town with a hearty breakfast, served from 7:30am until 9am. Hot and cold options are available so there's something for everyone. Breakfast is now available at 10% off - ONLY WHEN PRE-BOOKED. Simply add it to your basket at check out to save!

Lunch

We can provide a packed lunch including a freshly prepared sandwich, a delicious cake, cereal bar, a bottle of mineral water, a packet of crisps and a piece of fresh fruit. Eat in the hostel or take your packed lunch with you to enjoy during your day of exploring.

Abbey House Tearooms Café

YHA Whitby has a cafe which is open to the public as well as guests every day from March until October from 10.30am - 8.00pm. From November until February the café is open at weekends from 10.30am til 4.00pm. Sandwiches and paninis, hot food and cakes are served as well as a wide selection of hot and cold drinks.

Evening Meals

After your busy day exploring the town of Whitby, unwind in our licensed restaurant with a delicious meal. Whitby has some of the best fish and chips in the UK, so sample our hand-battered, freshly fried meals that this seaside area is famous for. We also offer a large number of special dishes, so there really is something for everyone. A self-catering kitchen is also available if you fancy bringing your own. Our lovely conservatory and garden make eating a meal here really special and dinner is served from 5:30pm until 8pm at night.

Drinks

Self-Catering Facilities

Our self-catering kitchen is spacious and full of character - we love the period alcove. Cook up a storm with three sets of hobs, two ovens with grills, five fridges, four freezers, two kettles, two toasters, plus lots of pots, pans, cutlery and crockery.

1. Choose Dates & Guests

Admissions Policy:
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 or over).
Children under 11 are welcome at YHA but can only stay in private or family rooms or in our camping and cabins products.
Children aged between 11 and 16 can stay in dorm rooms as long as they are accompanied by an adult of the same gender.

We are no longer taking bookings for customers wishing to arrive today. Please select alternative dates or location.

Availability Calendar

Can't find a bed on your preferred date? Try choosing a different room type from the selection box above. Alternatively please call us on 0800 0191 700
or +44 (0) 1629 592 700.
Members of YHA or Hostelling International are entitled to a discount of up to £3/night off the prices quoted above for bookings at YHA operated properties. Member discounts are redeemable at the checkout stage of your online booking. Family room prices are only available if your booking contains at least one adult and one child under 18.

Maps & Directions

Address

Abbey House, East Cliff, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4JT

How to get here

By foot: follow the signs towards the Abbey, go up the 199 steps, continue across the turning area, going right under the archway by the Lodge House. Follow the driveway and under a second archway to find the hostel. By road: follow the signs to the Abbey, up Green Lane, turn left and continue beyond the Abbey car park (additional pay & display parking here). As you approach the turning area, keep left under the archway and follow the driveway alongside the Abbey wall, go under a second archway and park in the courtyard.

History

The Whitby headland had seen Bronze Age and Roman settlements, before an Anglian monastery was founded there by Hild, the daughter of an Anglian nobleman, in about 627. Then things get a bit mysterious; no one is sure why, but the Anglian settlement and monastery were abandoned a few centuries later.

By the end of the 12th century a new monastery had been founded and built in stone. This building underwent various projects of rebuilding and expansion, during which the Abbey House was built. We aren’t sure what the Abbey House was used for, but it is likely that it was the abbot’s lodging.

In the 16th century the Monastery was suppressed and the abbey site was bought by the Chomley family. The Chomleys, and later the Strickland family, used the abbot’s lodgings as a house and over the next two centuries several extensions and a courtyard were added to the building.

In 1920 the Strickland family gave the abbey to the Ministry of Works. Then for around 80 years archaeological excavations were carried out on the site. By the early 2000s the Abbey House had fallen into a dilapidated state, but when its lease came up for tender in 2006 YHA jumped at the opportunity! A £3.5 million renovation was carried out making the building into the fantastic hostel enjoyed by many today.

YHA School Trips

YHA Whitby is committed to continually creating new opportunities for children by supporting and complementing the national curriculum to develop imagination and intellect. There are educational packages available but the area is also great to explore for yourself on a self-led trip.

Volunteering

We are very grateful for all of the help and support that our generous volunteers give to YHA. We are proud of our “Investors in Volunteering” accreditation and have a wide range of opportunities available across the country, all of which will provide great learning or social experiences and help us to create even more opportunities for young people.

Volunteering is a great way to meet people, visit new places, gain experiences and have fun. Full details of all of our various volunteering programmes can be found on the Volunteering website.

At YHA Whitby we offer the following volunteering opportunities subject to availability: